Administration Herøya Industripark AS

Yara employs innovative people

Yara Technology Centre has taken on 25 new members of staff since 2011. They have been recruited to help with innovation-driven development within the company. Yara is concentrating its efforts on improvements and innovations in the fields of fertiliser, food production and the environment.

Yara Technology Centre, with divisions at Herøya and in Sluiskil (in the Netherlands), has increased its staff numbers from 45 to 70 over the past eighteen months. New recruitment is taking place in order to build up the company’s power of innovation.

Fertiliser, food and a sustainable environment for the worldYara is focusing on three primary areas in which innovation will help to promote future-oriented development. This is controlled by global megatrends such as population growth, resource shortages and the environment. The solutions relate to the development of new, more effective types of fertiliser, as well as emphasis on food production with a sustainable environmental footprint worldwide.

– Yara Technology Centre (YTC) must be an attractive partner for innovation and improvements, as well as performing traditional operational support tasks for the Yara group all over the world, says Ole-Jacob Siljan (pictured), head of YTC. -Among other things, we will be working to develop more effective fertiliser types, devise solutions to cultivate more food in smaller areas, use less water and reduce emissions.

70% of the world’s fresh water is being used for food production at present. YTC is working to devise fertiliser types that require less water.

International springboardYara Technology Centre, with its 70 staff, is the companies most international division, employing people of 13 different nationalities. Half of the division’s 25 new staff are from countries other than Norway.

– New commissions worldwide demand the right skills and background. This is why we have recruited innovative people with a broad international focus. We believe that different cultures promote benefits, smiles Siljan. He explains that of 168 applications for the last eight positions advertised, only 27 applicants were Norwegian. Candidates flooded in from America, Asia, Europe and Africa.

– We would like to see more Norwegian candidates, explains Siljan. – YTC is a base and an excellent springboard for managerial positions at Yara facilities all over the world. Ole Jacob Siljan is speaking from experience, thanks to three years of experience of commuting to Australia.

Young techniciansOf the many new employees, Patricia Kita has come from Poland, Ronald Rôssler from Germany, Sang Baek Shin from South Korea, Carol Allen from Canada and Marie Lacombe from France – and these are just some of the latest technicians to arrive who will be helping to boost innovation at Yara. These recruitments are also helping to make YTC ‘younger’.